It was a miserable night for Grant Hill. He was 1 for 8 from the field, he had no lift on his jump shot and the Los Angeles Clippers lost to the Suns 93-88.

But miserable is relative.

Had he been willing to accept a reduced contract, Hill could have remained with the Suns this season and endured an atrocious first half that included coach Alvin Gentry losing his job. Instead, he signed a two-year contract with the Clippers, who are 32-12 and have legitimate championship aspirations.

"We have a bunch of vets, good, talented young players and guys who are locked in and willing to sacrifice to try to win, so we have the potential of doing something special," Hill said.

It's been a difficult season personally for Hill. Once the picture of health in Phoenix — in his four seasons (2008-11) he missed only three games — he's played in only seven games this year because of a bruised kneecap he suffered in training camp.

He's averaging 4.1 points in 15.7 minutes per game and shooting just 36.7 percent from the field.

"The main thing is I'm finally healthy," said Hill, 40. "It's good to be back on the court. I'm a better player than cheerleader."